Current collector system, crane system and method for delivering a current collector trolley to a busbar

ABSTRACT

A current collector system for a vehicle movable along a busbar arrangement, with at least one current collector trolley and current collector contacts arranged thereon that can be connected to a busbar of the busbar arrangement and with a vertical delivery unit for moving the current collector trolley in a vertical delivery direction, or with a horizontal delivery unit with at least one delivery element movable in a horizontal delivery direction for moving the current collector trolley in the horizontal delivery direction, as well as a corresponding crane system. The current collector trolley can be moved by a belt drive with an elastic and/or flexible belt in the vertical delivery direction, or in that the delivery element can be moved via a belt drive with an elastic and/or flexible belt in the horizontal direction, and with a crane system equipped with the above.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a current collector system, a system, inparticular a crane system and a method for delivering a currentcollector to a busbar.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A current collector system for a vehicle, in particular for a containerstacking crane, is known from WO 2010/054852 A2. The known currentcollector system is fixed to the support leg of the crane and is movablealong a trackway on which at least one busbar is arranged. A collectortrolley of the current collector system can create an electrical contactwith the busbar via a current collector, the collector car being movablefor this purpose to an introduction device for the trackway via atelescoping arm movable in the horizontal delivery direction. Thecollector trolley is supported so as to be freely movable in thevertical delivery direction on a guide of the telescoping arm. Therebycontacts of the current collector can be moved vertically by means ofthe introduction device up to the busbar in order to create anelectrical contact with the busbar.

The freely movable supporting of the collector trolley has thedisadvantage that an elaborate introduction device requiringconsiderable space must be provided for guiding the current collectorand the current collector contacts to the busbar.

This will be described for the sake of example with reference to aschematic top view of a container handling center 101 shown in FIG. 1.Such container handling centers 101 are found in ports, principally fortransferring containers from ships to freight trucks. Containers arestacked there in a variety of elongated container stacks 102. Travellanes 103 for freight trucks, which are loaded and unloaded viacontainer stacking cranes, not shown, are located between the containerstacks 102. The container stacking cranes move in a travel direction Falong the container stacks 102 and extend transversely to the traveldirection over a plurality of container stacks 102. The containerstacking cranes can also be moved from one block 104 of container stacks102 to another block 105 of container stacks 106.

Trackways 107, 108 running in the travel direction F with busbars 109,110 arranged thereon for supplying the container stacking cranes withelectrical energy are located alongside the blocks 104, 105, asdescribed in WO 2010/054852 A2, among other places. If a containerstacking crane is to shift from block 104 to block 105, its currentcollector leaves the busbar 109 and drives to the next block 105 with adrive motor powered by fuel or a battery. At block 105, the currentcollector is then threaded by an introduction device into the busbar110, from which the container stacking crane is supplied with electricalenergy.

An entry zone 111, indicated by a circle in FIG. 1, of the trackway 108is shown in a top view in FIG. 2. The trackway 108 has a conventionalintroduction device 112 for the container stacking crane, as is knownfrom WO 2010/054852 A2. First the collector trolley is drivenhorizontally toward a stop plate 113 and strikes against it. Then thecontainer stacking crane moves in the travel direction F to the busbar110, the collector trolley, supported to move freely vertically, beingbrought by means of a first roller arrangement through the upwardlyinclined introduction rail 114 to the proper height relative to thebusbar 110. Then a second roller arrangement threads the trolley intosupport rails 115 of the trackway 108, and the current collector iscontacted via a current collector introduction device 116 with thebusbar 110 so that the container stacking crane is again supplied withelectrical energy.

As is easily recognized from FIG. 2, the entry zone 111 requires arelatively large amount of space. Thus the busbar 110 only startsapproximately 3.50 m away from the left-hand beginning of the trackway108 in FIG. 2. Because an introduction device 116 and thus a relativelylarge entry zone are required at both ends of the trackway 108,considerable stacking space for containers is lost. The containerstacking crane must after all be supplied with electrical energy fromthe busbar in order to lift and move the containers. In principle theentry zone could be made shorter, but that reduces the positioningaccuracy of the current collector relative to the busbar in the entryzone, which can frequently lead to expensive and time-consuming damageto the current collector and the busbar.

Another disadvantage is that the container stacking crane must move muchmore slowly during the entry into the trackway 108 in order to be ableto introduce the current collector into the support rails 115 via theintroduction device 112 and 116.

Since the entry zone 111 projects far into the driving area designed fortrucks, the entry zone 111 must be specially protected againstcollisions with the trucks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The problem of the invention is therefore to overcome theabove-mentioned disadvantages and to provide a current collector systemand a crane system that allow a simple, low-wear and nevertheless fastand precise positioning and creation of an electrical connection betweena current collector and a busbar of the current collector system, andthat require little space.

The problem is solved by a current collector system as disclosed herein,and by a system, in particular a crane system, as disclosed herein.Advantageous refinements and preferred configurations of the inventionare also disclosed.

A current collector system of the type mentioned above is characterizedaccording to the invention in that the current collector trolley can bemoved in the vertical delivery direction by means of a belt drive withan elastic and/or flexible belt.

In an advantageous embodiment of the current collector system, the beltdrive can comprise two idle rollers arranged at opposite ends, in thevertical delivery direction, of the vertical delivery unit, wherein thecurrent collector trolley can be fastened to a pulling strand of thebelt.

In an advantageous further development, an energy chain, one end ofwhich chain is fastened to the current collector trolley or a mountingplate for the current collector trolley and the other end of which isfastened to a frame part of the vertical delivery unit, can be providedon the vertical delivery unit to guide supply lines from the vehicle tothe current collector trolley and/or to the vertical delivery unit. Thisreduces the risk of damage to the supply lines.

In addition, a lifting motor that can provide a holding force able tohold the current collector trolley in a desired vertical position canadvantageously be provided to drive the belt in a favorable embodiment.

The lifting motor can preferably be provided with a position sensor fordetermining the position of the current collector trolley in thevertical delivery direction.

In a preferred embodiment, the belt can be an open-ended belt whose endsare held together by means of a clamping device, the clamping deviceadvantageously clamping the ends of the belt together in such a mannerthat at least one end of the belt can be detached from the clampingdevice if a predetermined force is exceeded. Thereby destruction of ordamage to the current collector system or the crane system can beprovided in case of a malfunction that exceeds the ordinary operationallateral deviations of the vehicle from the busbar arrangement. Therebythe end of the belt can come loose and the belt is thus pulled off thevertical delivery unit. In that way the current collector trolleyfastened via the clamping device to the belt can advantageously beseparated from the vertical delivery unit, so that, in particular,damage to the sensitive current collector contacts and the busbararrangement can be avoided.

Another current collector system of the type mentioned above ischaracterized according to the invention in that the delivery elementcan be moved in the horizontal delivery direction via a belt drive withan elastic and/or flexible belt.

In an advantageous further development of the current collector system,the delivery element in the horizontal delivery direction can be movablysupported in an extension that is supported movably in the horizontaldelivery direction in a mounting frame. In addition, an extension motorfor moving the extension in the horizontal delivery direction canadvantageously be arranged on the mounting frame. In an operationallyfavorable configuration, a drive pinion of the extension motor can meshwith a rack running in the horizontal delivery direction on theextension, whereby reliable driving is provided. The extension motor canadvantageously be provided with a position sensor for determining theposition of the current collector trolley in the horizontal deliverydirection.

In a preferred configuration, the belt drive can comprise two idlerollers arranged at opposite ends, in the horizontal delivery direction,of the extension, about which rollers the belt circulates, wherein afastening strand of the circulating belt is fixed to the mounting frameand a pulling strand is fixed to the delivery element.

In another advantageous further development, an energy chain, one end ofwhich is fastened to the mounting frame and the other end of which isfastened to the delivery element, can be provided on the horizontaldelivery unit to guide supply lines from the vehicle to the currentcollector trolley. This reduces the risk of damage to the supply lines.

The belt or belts can preferably be implemented as toothed belts. Arubber material or a rubberized cloth or fabric belt can be furnished asthe material. In addition, a tensioning device for adjusting the initialtension of each belt can advantageously be provided for one or bothbelts.

The current collector system can advantageously be formed from acombination of the above-mentioned current collector systems withhorizontal delivery by the horizontal delivery unit and verticaldelivery by the vertical delivery unit. In such a combination, thevertical delivery unit can be arranged on a front end of the deliveryelement. In addition, the other end of the energy chain for the verticaldelivery unit can advantageously be fastened to the front end of thedelivery element rather than to a frame part of the vertical deliveryunit.

A system, in particular a crane system, of the type mentioned above ischaracterized according to the invention in that the current collectorsystem is constructed as explained above.

A method according to the invention for delivering a current collectortrolley with current collector contacts for a current collector system,in particular according to the invention, arranged on a movable vehicle,in particular a crane, to a busbar of a busbar arrangement, inparticular in a system according to the invention, is characterized inthat the current collector trolley is delivered to the busbar in boththe horizontal delivery direction and in the vertical delivery directionby means of a positioning unit.

In the method according to the invention, the current collector trolleycan advantageously be moved simultaneously in two spatial directions, inparticular in the horizontal delivery direction and the verticaldelivery direction. Immediately before the introduction of the currentcollector contacts into the busbar, the current collector trolley canadvantageously be delivered only in the vertical delivery directionafter termination of the delivery in the horizontal delivery direction.The current collector trolley can also be first delivered in thehorizontal delivery direction and then in the vertical deliverydirection.

To enable as gentle and wear-free a movement of the current collectortrolley as possible, the current collector trolley can first be movedslowly and then quickly in the horizontal delivery direction and/or thevertical delivery direction, and can be braked before the end of thedelivery movement. For precisely targeted contacting of the currentcollector contacts with the busbar, the position of the currentcollector trolley in the horizontal and/or vertical delivery directioncan additionally be determined via a position sensor on an extensionmotor for the horizontal delivery of the current collector trolley or aposition sensor on a lifting motor for the vertical delivery of thecurrent collector trolley (10).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Additional details and advantages of the invention emerge from thefollowing description of a preferred embodiment with reference to theaccompanying drawings. Therein:

FIG. 1 shows a plan view onto a known container handling center;

FIG. 2 shows a side view of an entry zone of the known containerhandling center from FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows an entry zone of a crane system according to the invention;

FIG. 4 shows a front-end plan view onto a part of the base of the cranesystem with a current collector system according to the inventionarranged thereon;

FIG. 5 shows a three-dimensional view of the current collector systemfrom FIG. 4 in the extended position;

FIG. 6 shows a side view of the current collector system from FIG. 4 inthe extended position;

FIG. 7 shows a side view of the current collector system from FIG. 6 inthe retracted position;

FIG. 8 shows a plan view of the current collector system from FIG. 5 inthe extended position;

FIG. 9 shows a plan view of a horizontal delivery unit from the currentcollector system of FIG. 5 in the completely retracted position;

FIG. 10 shows a plan view of the delivery unit from FIG. 9 in apartially extended position;

FIG. 11 shows a plan view of the delivery unit from FIG. 9 in thecompletely extended position;

FIG. 12 shows a cross section through the delivery unit from FIG. 10along the line A-A;

FIG. 13 shows a side view from the lower left in FIG. 5 of a verticaldelivery unit from the current collector system of FIG. 5;

FIG. 14 shows a cross section through the delivery unit of FIG. 13 alongthe line B-B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 4 shows a movable base 1 of a vehicle constructed as a crane 2,only suggested graphically, from a crane system according to theinvention that can be driven via rubber tires 3, only suggestedgraphically in FIG. 1, in a conventional container handling center 101.

The crane 2 is supplied with electrical energy for handling containersfrom a busbar arrangement 4 according to the invention shown in FIG. 3.The busbar arrangement 4 is implemented as a conventional contactconductor system. An entry zone 5 of the busbar arrangement 4, unlikethe entry zone 111 of the known trackway 108, does not have an entryfunnel 112 with a stop plate 113 and an introduction rail 114. Insteadthere is only an entry assistance means 6 of a busbar 7 and only onesupport rail 8. A stop plate, not shown, can be provided in the area ofthe entry assistance means 6.

In contrast to the known trackway 108 from FIG. 2, the distance betweenthe left end of the busbar arrangement 4 shown in FIG. 3 and the entryassistance means 6 is only 1 m here and not 3 m as in known designs. Theentry zone 5 of the crane system according to the invention is thereforemarkedly shorter than that of the known ones.

This is made possible by a current collector system 9 shown in FIG. 4 atthe crane base 1, and in a three-dimensional view in FIG. 5 from theright side in FIG. 4. The current collector system 9 is arranged at theupper part of the crane base 5, roughly at the same height as the busbar7. For connection with the busbar 7, the current collector system 9comprises a current collector trolley 10 with several current collectorcontacts 11. The current collector trolley 10 is guided by means ofsupport rollers 12 and guide rollers 13 in the support rail 8.

In order to be able to connect the current collector trolley 9 to thebusbar 6, the crane base 1 of the crane 2 moves into the entry zone 5 ofthe busbar arrangement 4 in the vicinity of the entry assistance means6. To avoid collisions with containers or other components during thetravel of the crane 2, the current collector trolley 10 is driven in theretracted position shown in FIG. 4. Then the current collector trolley10 is moved with the assistance of a positioning unit toward the entryassistance means 6 in both the horizontal delivery direction Htransverse to the travel direction of the crane base 1 and in thevertical delivery direction V. Thereby the current collector trolley 10can be simultaneously moved in two spatial directions so that thecurrent collector trolley 10 can be delivered quickly and directly tothe busbar 7. Only immediately before insertion of the current collectorcontacts 11 into the busbar, e.g., a contact conductor, after conclusionof the horizontal delivery, is there a vertical delivery. Alternativelythere can first be a purely horizontal delivery and then a purelyvertical delivery.

The current collector trolley 10 is delivered in the horizontal deliverydirection H via a horizontal delivery unit 14 shown in FIGS. 4-12. Thehorizontal delivery unit 14 comprises a mounting frame 15 that is fixedto the crane base 1.

An extension 16 running in the horizontal delivery direction Htransverse to the travel direction F of the crane base 1 is movablyarranged in the mounting frame 15. The extension 16 can be moved betweenthe extended position shown in FIG. 6 and the completely retractedposition shown in FIG. 7. A first delivery element implemented as aslide 17 is arranged in the extension 16 movably relative to theextension 16, again in the horizontal delivery direction H, wherein theslide 17 can be completely retracted into the extension 16. The currentcollector trolley 10 is arranged at the front end of the slide 17, i.e.,at the left end in FIG. 5 and at the right end in FIGS. 4, 6, 7 and9-12.

Since both the extension 16 and the slide 17 are arranged movably in thehorizontal delivery direction H, the current collector trolley 10 can bedisplaced between the completely retracted position shown in FIGS. 4, 7and 9 into the completely extended position shown in FIGS. 5, 6, 8 and12.

The displacement of the extension 16 and the slide 17 is accomplished asdescribed below. As is shown especially recognizably in FIG. 8, anextension motor 18 implemented as an electric motor is mounted on themounting frame 15 in order to move the extension 16. Via a drive pinion19 (FIG. 11), the extension motor 18 drives a rack 20 mounted on theextension 16 that extends over almost the entire length of the extension16. Thereby the extension 16 can be displaced between the positionsshown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 12.

In order to be able to extend and retract the slide 17 without having toprovide a separate electric motor, idle rollers 21, rotatable about axesrunning perpendicular to the travel direction F of the crane base 1 andperpendicular to the horizontal delivery direction H, are mounted at thefront and rear ends of the extension 16. A belt 22 made of elasticand/or flexible material is placed around the idle rollers 21 and isfixed by a fastening strand 22 a to the mounting frame 15, as isrecognizable in FIG. 8. The slide 17 is fixed by means of an angle plate23 to a pulling strand 22 b of the belt 22.

If, as shown in FIGS. 9-11, the extension 16 is advanced in thehorizontal delivery direction H by the extension motor 18 from theposition shown in FIG. 9, i.e., moves toward the right in FIG. 9, thenthe belt 22 is moved in the direction shown in FIG. 10, i.e., runscounterclockwise around the idle rollers 21. Since the slide 17 isfixedly connected to the belt 22, the belt 22 entrains the slide 17, sothat the slide 17 is moved in the same horizontal delivery direction Has is the extension 16. Thus the extension 16 and the slide 17 can beuniformly moved by simple means between the positions shown in FIGS. 9and 11.

Since the belt 22 advantageously consists of an elastic material, aconnection that is elastic within certain limits and has a shockabsorbing effect is created between the current collector trolley 10 onthe one hand and the mounting frame 15 on the other. The belt 22 can beimplemented as a V-belt or a toothed belt for example, the idle rollersthen being appropriately adapted to the belt shape.

In a preferred embodiment, the extension motor 18 can be switched tono-load operation after the entry of the current collector trolley 10into the support rail 8 and the electrical contacting between thecurrent collector contacts 11 and the busbar 7. Thereby the belt 22,inhibited by the initial tension of the belt 22 and possibly the inertiaof the rotor of extension motor 18, can revolve around the idle rollers21. The initial tension of the belt 22 is adjusted in such a manner thatthe current collector trolley 10 can be held in its horizontal positionin normal operation without external interfering forces. If externalinterfering forces in the horizontal delivery direction occur duringmovement of the crane 2, for example because the busbar arrangement 4does not run in exactly a straight line, then these changes will becompensated in the horizontal delivery direction H by a movement of thebelt 22, and therefore the idling extension motor 18.

Alternatively or additionally, the extension motor 18 can also be drivenin such a manner that it exerts a predetermined holding force on thebelt 22, so that the belt 22 can be moved only if the predeterminedforces are exceeded.

If a stop plate, not shown in the figures, is used in the area of theentry assistance means 6 for positioning the current collector trolley10 in the horizontal delivery direction H, then the impacts appearingwhen approaching the stop plate can be resiliently absorbed by theelastic belt 22, whereby the wear of all involved parts can be reduced.

The structure of the horizontal delivery unit 14 will be clarified onceagain based on the cross section in FIG. 13 through the horizontaldelivery unit 14 along the line A-A in FIG. 10. The driving of theextension 16 via the extension motor 18, the drive pinion 19 and therack 20 mounted on the extension is easily recognized. The extension 16comprises two double T-shaped rails 24 running parallel to one anotherthat are movably supported on extension rollers 25 seated in themounting frame 15. Slide rollers 26 seated rotatably on the slide 17likewise engage in the other side of the double T-shaped rails 24, sothat the slide 17 is movably supported on the extension 16. The belt 22is fixed to a hollow crossbeam, with a rectangular cross section, of theslide 17.

In order to supply the electrical energy tapped on the busbararrangement 4 by means of the current collector contacts 11 to the loadsof the train, a horizontally flexible conventional energy chain 27containing the electrical supply lines in the area of the horizontaldelivery unit 14 is fixed to the end of the slide 17 at the bottom inFIG. 8. The energy chain 27 runs, as is seen particularly from FIGS.5-8, underneath the extension 16 and the slide 17 from the mountingelement 15 to the front end of the slide 17. In the present embodiment,the energy chain 27 is divided into two parts and runs underneath theextension 16 and the slide 17. At the rear end of the slide 17, abracket 28 is provided for the part 27 a of the energy chain 27originating from the front end of the slide 17, and for the part 27 b ofthe energy chain 27 coming from the mounting element 15.

A cable drag of the type shown in WO 2010/054852 A2 is therefore notnecessary, which is advantageous because this avoids the danger oftearing off the hanging cable that exists with the cable drag.

The operation of the extension motor 18 for the horizontal delivery unit14 can preferably be regulated so that the startup takes place slowly,further travel is fast, and there is a deceleration before the end ofthe delivery movement. Thereby the current collector trolley 10 can bemoved gently against the stop plate. In another advantageous embodiment,the extension motor 18 can also be furnished with a position sensor sothat the precise position of the current collector trolley 10 relativeto the crane base 1 can be determined.

In contrast to the telescoping delivery device shown in WO 2010/054852A2, the horizontal delivery unit 14 according to the invention has lesswear due to the elastic and/or flexible belt 22, so that the movementtimes into a new busbar arrangement 4 are reduced. The horizontaldelivery unit 14 also has a smaller overall size because, differentlythan in a telescoping device, it is no longer necessary for severalrectangular profiles to be run one inside the other.

The current collector trolley 10 is delivered in the horizontal deliverydirection V via a vertical delivery unit 29 shown in FIGS. 4-14.

The vertical delivery unit 29 is permanently fixed to the slide 17 ofthe horizontal delivery unit 14 at the front end, on the right in FIGS.4, 6, 7 and 9-12. At the upper and lower ends of the vertical deliveryunit 29 in FIGS. 13 and 14, idle rollers implemented as toothed beltrollers 30, 31 are seated rotatably about an axis perpendicular to thevertical delivery direction V and perpendicular to the horizontaldelivery direction H. The upper toothed belt roller 30 in FIGS. 13 and14 is connected via a bevel gear 32 to a lifting motor 33 implemented asan electric motor. A belt 34, implemented as a toothed belt,single-ended in the present exemplary embodiment, the ends which areheld together by means of a clamping device 35, runs over the toothedbelt rollers 30, 31. The side of the toothed belt 34 to which thecurrent collector trolley 10 is fixed constitutes a pulling strand 34 aof the toothed belt. A mounting plate 36 to which the current collectortrolley 10 is fixed is situated on the left outer side of the clampingdevice 35 in FIG. 14. The toothed belt 34 and thus the current electrictrolley 10 are consequently motorically driven in the vertical deliverydirection V between the toothed belt rollers 30, 31. An endlesslycirculating toothed belt can be used in place of the single-endedtoothed belt 34 held together by means of the clamping device 35. Othersuitable belt drives can also be used, for example a V-belt drive withappropriately adapted rollers.

The electrical supply lines for the lifting motor 33, as well as theelectrical supply lines for the crane 2 are run in a conventional energychain 37, one end of which is fixed to the front end of the slide 17 ora frame part of the vertical delivery unit 29, and the other end ofwhich is fixed to the current collector trolley 10 or the mounting plate36. The lines are fed from the crane 2 to the vertical delivery unit 29via a horizontal energy chain 27, wherein the front end of the part 27 aof the energy chain 27 that runs on the slide 17 can also be fixed to aframe part of the vertical delivery unit 29 instead of to the slide 17.

In a preferred embodiment, the lifting motor 33 can be switched tono-load operation after the entry of the current collector trolley 10into the support rail 8 and the electrical contacting between thecurrent collector contacts 11 and the busbar 7. Thereby the toothed belt34, inhibited by the initial tension of the toothed belt 34 and possiblythe inertia of the rotor of the bevel gear 32 and the rotor of thelifting motor 33, can revolve around the toothed belt rollers 30, 31.The initial tension of the toothed belt 34 is preferably adjusted insuch a manner, for example by the clamping device 33 or an advantageoustension roller, not shown, that the current collector trolley 10 can beheld in its vertical position in normal operation without externalinterfering forces. If external interfering forces occur during movementof the crane 2, due to unevenness of the ground for example and thuschanges of the height of the busbar system 9 relative to the busbararrangement 4 occur, these changes are compensated by a movement of thetoothed belt 34 in the vertical delivery direction V and the currentcollector 10 does not exert any additional forces onto the busbararrangement 4.

Alternatively or additionally, the lifting motor 33 can also be drivenin such a manner that it exerts a predetermined holding force on thetoothed belt 34, so that the toothed belt 34 can be moved only if thepredetermined forces are exceeded.

Another advantage of the mounting of the current collector trolley 10via the elastic toothed belt 34 is that the toothed belt 34 itself cantwist and rotate to a certain extent, so that the current collectortrolley 10 can be decoupled from movements of the crane 2. For example,if the ground on which the crane 2 is driving has a slight tilt orinclination relative to the busbar 7, the rotation of the currentcollector trolley 10 about a horizontal, vertical axis can becompensated by the toothed belt 34. Certain changes of the distancebetween the crane 2 and the busbar arrangement in the horizontaldelivery direction H can also be compensated by pressing or pulling thetoothed belt 34 somewhat in the respective direction. Manufacturingimprecisions of the busbar arrangement 4, for example if the busbar doesnot run exactly straight or has certain height fluctuations over itslength, can likewise be compensated to a certain extent. Climaticallyinduced changes, due to temperature-induced expansion of materials forexample, can thus be compensated without detriment to the operation ofthe crane.

Due to the elasticity of the toothed belt 34, different movements in avariety of spatial directions can in principle be compensated to anextent sufficient for the normal operation of the current collectorsystem 9. Thus slight slants or lateral tilting of the crane 2 relativeto the busbar arrangement can be compensated. Elaborate active trackingof the current collector trolley 10 is thus not necessary, nor is acompletely free suspension, which entails the risk of poorer handlingand controllability of the current collector trolley.

The clamping of the ends of the toothed belt 34 exerted by the clampingdevice 35 can advantageously be designed in such a manner that at leastone end is detached from the clamping device when a predetermined forceis exceeded. This is an additional protection against destruction ordamage to the current collector system 9 or the crane system in a faultthat exceeds the normal operational deviations. For example, if thecrane 2 drives too far away from the busbar arrangement 4 due to anoperating error, the clamping device 35 provides a designed breakingpoint from which the current collector trolley 10 can detach itself.Damage such as bending of the busbar 7 or the support rail 8 is thusavoided.

The operation of the lifting motor 33 for the horizontal verticaldelivery unit 29 can preferably be regulated so that the startup takesplace slowly, further travel is fast, and there is a deceleration beforethe end of the delivery movement. In this way the current collectortrolley 10 can be gently driven up to the entry assistance means 6 andthen introduced into the support rail 8. In another advantageousembodiment, the lifting motor 33 can also be furnished with a positionsensor so that the precise position of the current collector trolley 10in the vertical delivery direction V can be determined.

In one embodiment of the invention, not shown, no lifting motor 33 isprovided, so that the current collector trolley 10 must be introducedvertically into the busbar arrangement 4 via conventionally knownintroduction devices. Despite that, the advantages described for thevertical delivery unit 29 according to the invention in compensatingposition deviations of the current collector trolley 10 are achieved.

The invention was described above with reference to a crane system inwhich the crane 2 travels back and forth between different busbararrangements and must repeatedly move its current collector trolley 10into a busbar 7. However, the invention can equally well be used forother movable consumers of electrical energy that must move by means ofa current collector trolley 10 into a busbar or contact conductorarrangement.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of connecting a vehicle to a busbar,comprising: connecting a system between the vehicle and the busbar, thesystem including: an extendable frame, moveable inwards and outwardsalong a horizontal delivery direction with respect to the vehicle,connectable to the vehicle; a current collector trolley includingcurrent collector contacts connectable to the busbar; and a verticaldelivery unit connected to the trolley and the extendable frame to movethe trolley upwards and downwards along a vertical delivery directionwith respect to the vehicle, wherein the system further includes amotor, a pulley connected to an output of the motor, and at least onestrand connected to the pulley and the extendable frame, the motorthereby configured to rotate the pulley to move the at least one strandand thereby move the extendable frame.
 2. The method of claim 1, furtherincluding moving the current collector trolley in the horizontaldelivery direction and the vertical delivery direction simultaneouslyusing the system.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the currentcollector trolley is first delivered in the horizontal deliverydirection and then in the vertical delivery direction.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein, immediately before an introduction of the currentcollector contacts into the busbar, and after a termination of thedelivery in the horizontal delivery direction, the current collectortrolley is delivered only in the vertical delivery direction.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the current collector trolley is moved at aninitial speed, and then is moved at a second speed that is relativelyfaster than the initial speed, in at least one of the horizontaldelivery direction and the vertical delivery direction, and isdecelerated before the end of the delivery movement.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the position of the current collector trolley in atleast one of the horizontal delivery direction and the vertical deliverydirection is determined using a position sensor on an extension motorfor the horizontal delivery of the current collector trolley or,respectively, a position sensor on a lift motor for the verticaldelivery of the current collector trolley.
 7. The method of claim 1,wherein the extendable frame includes an elongate slide member and anextension, and extending the extendable frame is carried out by slidingthe elongated slide member in connection with the extension.
 8. Themethod of claim 7, wherein the slide member is substantially completelyretractable within the extension.
 9. The method of claim 7, and whereinthe extendable frame is extended by moving the extension by operating amotor, the extension connected to the slide member by a first strandconnected to the extendable frame and the slide member, the first strandthereby configured to extend the slide member when the extendable frameis extended by the motor.
 10. The method of claim 7, wherein the systemincludes an energy chain to guide feed lines from the vehicle to thecurrent collector trolley, the energy chain having a first end affixedto one of the vehicle and a base affixed to the vehicle to which theextendible frame is arranged, and a second end affixed to the extendableframe.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second end of the energychain is affixed to the bottom end of the slide member.
 12. The methodof claim 10, wherein the energy chain is flexible in the horizontaldelivery direction.
 13. The method of claim 10, wherein the energy chainis positioned underneath the extension.
 14. The method of claim 13,wherein the energy chain is positioned underneath the extension and theslide member.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is acontainer stacking crane.
 16. A method of connecting a vehicle to abusbar, comprising: connecting a system between the vehicle and thebusbar, the system including: an extendable frame, moveable inwards andoutwards along a horizontal delivery direction with respect to thevehicle, connectable to the vehicle; a current collector trolleyincluding current collector contacts connectable to the busbar; and avertical delivery unit connected to the trolley and the extendable frameto move the trolley upwards and downwards along a vertical deliverydirection with respect to the vehicle, using a position sensor todetermine at least one of a position of the current collector trolley inthe vertical delivery direction and a position of the current collectortrolley in the horizontal delivery direction.
 17. The method of claim16, wherein the step of using a position sensor to determine at leastone of a position of the current collector trolley in the verticaldelivery direction and a position of the current collector trolley inthe horizontal delivery direction, comprises using a first positionsensor to determine the position of the current collector trolley in thevertical delivery direction and a second position sensor to determinethe position of the current collector trolley in the horizontal deliverydirection.
 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of using aposition sensor to determine at least one of a position of the currentcollector trolley in the vertical delivery direction and a position ofthe current collector trolley in the horizontal delivery direction,comprises using the position sensor to determine the position of thecurrent collector trolley in the vertical delivery direction and todetermine the position of the current collector trolley in thehorizontal delivery direction.
 19. A system for connecting a vehicle toa busbar, comprising: an extendable frame, moveable inwards and outwardsalong a horizontal delivery direction with respect to the vehicle,connectable to the vehicle; a current collector trolley includingcurrent collector contacts connectable to the busbar; a motor, a pulleyconnected to an output of the motor, and at least one strand connectedto the pulley and the extendable frame, the motor thereby configured torotate the pulley to move the at least one strand and thereby move theextendable frame; and a vertical delivery unit connected to the trolleyand the extendable frame to move the trolley upwards and downwards alonga vertical delivery direction with respect to the vehicle.
 20. A systemcomprising a crane, movable along a busbar arrangement, and the systemof claim
 19. 21. A system for connecting a vehicle to a busbar,comprising: an extendable frame, moveable inwards and outwards along ahorizontal delivery direction with respect to the vehicle, connectableto the vehicle; a current collector trolley including current collectorcontacts connectable to the busbar; a vertical delivery unit connectedto the trolley and the extendable frame to move the trolley upwards anddownwards along a vertical delivery direction with respect to thevehicle; and at least one of a position sensor to determine a positionof the current collector trolley in the vertical delivery direction anda position sensor to determine a position of the current collectortrolley in the horizontal delivery direction.
 22. The system of claim21, the extendable frame including an elongate slide member and anextension, the elongate slide member slideable in connection with theextension to extend the extendable frame.
 23. The system of claim 22,wherein the slide member is substantially completely retractable withinthe extension.
 24. The system of claim 22, further including: a motorconnected to the extendable frame to horizontally extend the frame; astrand connected to the extendable frame and the slide member tohorizontally extend the slide member when the extendable frame ishorizontally extended by the motor.
 25. The system of claim 22, furtherincluding an energy chain having a first end affixed to one of thevehicle or a base affixed to the vehicle at which the extendible frameis arranged, and a second end affixed to the slide member; the energychain configured to support feed lines connected to the vehicle and thecurrent collector trolley as the extendible frame is extended.
 26. Thesystem of claim 25, wherein the second end of the energy chain isaffixed to a bottom end of the slide member.
 27. The system of claim 25,wherein the energy chain is bendable in the horizontal deliverydirection.
 28. The system of claim 25, wherein the energy chain ispositioned underneath the extension.
 29. The system of claim 28, whereinthe energy chain is positioned underneath the extension and the slide.30. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one of a positionsensor to determine a position of the current collector trolley in thevertical delivery direction and a position sensor to determine aposition of the current collector trolley in the horizontal deliverydirection comprises a first position sensor to determine the position ofthe current collector trolley in the vertical delivery direction and asecond position sensor to determine the position of the currentcollector trolley in the horizontal delivery direction.
 31. The systemof claim 21, wherein the at least one of a position sensor to determinea position of the current collector trolley in the vertical deliverydirection and a position sensor to determine a position of the currentcollector trolley in the horizontal delivery direction comprises asingle position sensor to determine the position of the currentcollector trolley in the vertical delivery direction and the position ofthe current collector trolley in the horizontal delivery direction.